How to Have Less Stress and More Success in Your Business

Mar 25, 2018

How to Have Less Stress and More Success in Your Business

Starting a business isn’t all sunshine and roses. In fact, stress is pretty much a given when you decide to brave the world of entrepreneurship. And you quickly learn that the financial flexibility and freedom you so desire isn’t as easily attainable as you first imagined.

That doesn’t mean you won’t get there. It just means you need to be willing to put in the work and try not to let stress get to you.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Stress, in healthy doses, is beneficial. It pushes you forward to try harder and to do what you didn’t believe you could do before. But too often we put more pressure and stress on ourselves than necessary.

For some reason, we’ve been led to believe that if we’re not stressed we’re failing. It happens in our jobs. If we finish tasks too quickly or easily, bosses reward us by upping our workload. When we get a promotion we take on more responsibility and in turn become more stressed.

We’ve become so accustomed to success going hand in hand with stress that when we’re not stressed we don’t know what to do with ourselves. And so, instead of going out and enjoying yourself as a reward for achieving your goals, you put more pressure on yourself to do even more.

If you catch yourself creating unnecessary stress over the smallest things, or thinking you’re going to be a better entrepreneur if you’re more stressed, then this has to stop! Stress does not equal success. That doesn’t mean success doesn’t require work, it does. But you shouldn’t allow it to get to the point where it destroys your wellbeing.

Relieve the stress

Stress not only affects you mentally, but also physically so too much unnecessary stress will do a lot more harm to you than good. And this could have damaging effects on your business.

When you’re stressed it’s hard to focus, you lose the drive and motivation you need to keep going, and you struggle to make good decisions.

So before you let your stress ruin what you’ve been eagerly creating, read this article to learn some strategies for managing your stress levels.

Switch Off

It may be tempting to do a last minute scroll through social media or a final email check before you go to sleep. But checking up on your work while you’re in bed just takes the stress to bed with you.

Even if you don’t realise it, your sub-conscious mind will keep you up all night focusing on those tasks you didn’t get to.

Some entrepreneurs like to boast about how many sleepless nights got them to where they are today. Yes you may have some nights where you’re so motivated by what you’re doing that you don’t want to stop. But don’t make it a habit.

You need sleep if you want to be productive and alert. Nothing is so urgent that it can’t wait until morning so switch that phone off and get some well deserved sleep.

Do What You Love

Balance is the key to a successful business. You can’t spend every waking moment on your business, or you could actually get to a point where you resent it because it’s not allowing you to do the things you want to be doing.

Be sure to take time out for yourself. Schedule it in your diary if you have to, but set aside some time at least once a week or month to just be in the moment and enjoy yourself.

Find something you love, and work it into your schedule no matter what.

As your business takes off you should be able to take more time away until you reach the ideal point where you spend time on yourself every day.

Exercise

Often when you start a new business, exercise is the first thing to go. It feels like you’re taking away important time from moving towards your dreams, so you tell yourself it’s a temporary sacrifice you have to make.

Before you know it, you’re more stressed out than before. You see, exercise is none of the quickest ways to decrease stress levels as you produce endorphins which help you to feel more focused and optimistic.

So taking a little time out to look after yourself, actually makes you more productive.

Look After Your Health

Sleep and exercise are a good start, but be sure to take care of yourself in other ways as well. Your business won’t thrive if you’re not feeling well physically, emotionally, and mentally.

For starters, make sure you’re eating, and try to make it healthy meals. Have you ever heard a successful business person talk about never having the time to eat? They talk as though they should be rewarded for giving up eating for their business to progress.

Sometimes that sacrifice might be necessary to meet a deadline, but don’t allow it to become a habit. Just like you need sleep, you need to stay nourished in order to thrive.

Do what you need to do to look after your body as this in turn will look after your business.

If you develop unhealthy habits, eventually you’re going to crash and burn. And what do you think is going to happen to your business then?

Recognise Stress Triggers

If you find yourself constantly feeling stressed, start to record why you’re feeling this way each day.

You may find the main triggers for your stress are the unnecessary worries you put on yourself. If the cause of your stress is not going to move you or your business forward, eliminate it from your routine. If, however, it’s a stress that opens an opportunity for your business, work through it.

This is easier said than done. But over time the stress will lessen, especially when you see the reward for your work through challenging times.

Connect With Others

When you’re under a lot of pressure you may feel the need to distance yourself from others to focus on the tasks you have to get done. But distancing yourself completely can be harmful.

Times of stress are generally when you need people the most, so make sure you’re surrounding yourself with the right people. And when you’re feeling the pressure, connect with them so they can help you get back on track.

Unfortunately there’s no way to avoid stress forever. It’s a part of life, and when you became an entrepreneur you pretty much signed an agreement with yourself that you’d feel stressed sometimes. But that doesn’t mean it needs to overtake your entire life or destroy your business. Understand where your stress is coming from and take actions to reduce the levels of stress you experience and that will lead you to a life of much less stress and much more success.

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